A Writer's Playground

Monthly Activities for Kids by Linda Martin Andersen

  • Copyright Notice

    Copyright © 2016 Linda Martin Andersen.

    Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this
    material without express and written permission
    from Linda Martin Andersen is strictly prohibited.

    Excerpts and links may be used, provided that
    full and clear credit is given to Linda Martin Andersen
    with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Nothing Says Joy in the Morning Like…

Posted by lindamartinandersen on September 21, 2016


A Writer's Playground Fotosearch_u17996074

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart  “Nothing Says Joy in the Morning Like…” by Linda Martin Andersen

Personal grief hit me hard in June.  It left me too sad to do some things I enjoy, such as making small home decorating changes.  Fortunately, my  creativity is returning.  This brings me great joy!

Yesterday, I decided to replace the coffee station in my kitchen.  I purchased a bamboo napkin holder and serving tray to hold my coffee maker and condiments.   This simple decorating change filled me with joy.  Now as I pour myself a cup of coffee, I’m reminded to start my day with joy.  I was also reminded of two Folgers’ coffee jingles:  “Nothing says morning like Folgers in your cup. ” Also:  “The best part of waking up in Folgers in your cup.”

These jingles influenced my writing and this blog title.  Writing and word play bring me joy.  Choosing to change my coffee station brought me two joys:  creative decorating and writing.

What caused this positive change?  Time for a moment of truth…I added too much water to my coffee pot which caused it to boil over and ruin my  tray.  Cause and effect.  That’s one accident I’m glad happened.  😉  It started positive wheels turning.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7LXSQ85jpw

These jingles influenced my writing.  Can you recognize their influence in my blog title?  Writing and word play bring me joy.

What brings you joy in the morning and throughout the day?

Bamboo Coffee Station. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen.

Bamboo Coffee Station. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen.

Writing Prompts:

1.  Look around your bedroom and locate things that bring you joy.  Write or tell about them.

2.  Look for things that bring you joy on your ride to school.  Write or tell about them.

3.  Begin a Joy Journal.  Record things that bring you joy throughout the day.

4.  Write an acronym for JOY.  Here is a site for word suggestions:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/phonetic/y.shtml

Example of an acronym for  JOY:  J–Jump  O–orbit Y–yell

5.  Write a phrase acronym for JOY.  Example:  J–Jump  O–over  Y–yokes (burdens).  Discuss the meaning of this phrase with an adult.

6.  Do you know someone named Joy?  Tell ways this person brings joy to the world.  Example:  Joy Acey:  http://poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com/2016/09/sharks-and-minnows.html

7.  Do you know a song about Joy?  Change some of the lyrics to include things that bring you joy.

8.  Complete this writing prompt:  Nothing says joy in the morning like…

9.  Here are two Folgers’ coffee jingles:  “Nothing says morning like Folgers in your cup. ” Also:  “The best part of waking up in Folgers in your cup.”  Use these jingles as writing prompts to create your own personal jingle or slogan.

10.  What is your definition of joy?  Expand your definition with personal examples.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

18 Responses to “Nothing Says Joy in the Morning Like…”

  1. Lorene said

    Love it, Linda. YOU bring me joy!

    Lorene McBryde In God We Trust fmmcbryde@aol.com

  2. It’s funny how making little changes like this can bring joy. Noticing a flowering plant does it for me–particularly one that doesn’t flower often. Something about anticipation. Thankful that you can rejoice in this small change in your home. I think loss makes us more attuned to joy.

    • Boy, you put your thinking cap on early! Astute observations, Carol. I can relate to your comments about flowering plants. I have enjoying watching an orchid grow, bloom, and begin over again. Amazing to me. Yes, loss can have some positive effects, although they come at a high cost.

  3. Deanna Klingel said

    Enjoyed your post. Happy to see your joy returning.

    Sent from my iPad

    >

  4. Jinnette said

    I thought of our sweet church secretary Joy and sent her a copy and told her what a joy she had been in my life! Lv, Jinnette Thinking of you daily as you walk on this new journey!😇

    Sent from my iPad

    >

  5. Joan Y. Edwards said

    Dear Linda,
    You are the epitome of joy in the morning, noon, and evening! You bring joy to all the people in your path. I’m excited to see feeling your own personal joy returning to you.

    Thanks for celebrating the return of your joy with us.
    Love,

    Never Give Up
    Joan

    • Joan,
      Wow, what a great compliment–the epitome of joy! So sweet of you to say. Thanks for being happy for me that my own personal joy is returning. It was fun to share its return here on my blog. I’m looking for joy in every day! I hope you find it frequently too.

  6. Kathleen said

    Linda, Your posts and your friendship bring me Joy! I remember that Folgers jingle. The year that commercial aired -1996 was the year my daughter was born-definitely Joy! I love the look of your new bamboo tray and napkin holder. I am so very happy that your creativity is sparking again. Looking forward to seeing you soon and giving you a hug, that would also bring me joy ❤

    • Kathleen,
      I’m glad to hear that you enjoy my blog posts. It’s nice that the Folgers jingle reminded you of the year your daughter was born. Thanks for being happy that my creativity is back. I look forward to a big hug from you soon and lots more joy! Thanks for being my friend.

  7. […] https://lindamartinandersen.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/nothing-says-joy-in-the-morning-like/ […]

  8. Your being back to writing your blog brings me joy. I’ve missed your voice. And maybe soon we can get back to our critique exchanges. Have fun in Charlotte this weekend.

    • Thanks so much, Sarah. I look for joy everyday. I enjoyed sharing this post. Critique exchanges are something we can discuss off line, as well as what you’ve been up to. I’ll miss seeing you in Charlotte. Hopefully, you’ll be there next year.

  9. Mary Hagan said

    Jesus first Others second You (me) last brings us real joy

Please Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

 
%d bloggers like this: